wind

Egypt poised to launch tender offer for wind farms

Egypt is about to launch a tender offer for the installation of wind farms on the Gulf of Suez with a capacity of 200 MW, according to several media reports out of the region quoting Egyptian Energy Minister Hassan Yunis.

The tender represents the second and third phases of the expansion of Egypt's wind farming plans under a renewable energy programme, Yunis said in a statement. The first phase of the initiative was signed last July.

The offer involves supplying and installing the wind farms as well as maintenance, Yunis said in a written statement.

Egypt’s newest major wind power plant, a $500 million project, is currently scheduled to go online in April 2014. It is being provided with financial support from the European Investment Bank and the European Commission, Yunis said.

Egypt's total wind energy capacity currently stands at around 550 MW and the country has set a goal of producing 7,200 megawatts of wind energy by 2020.